Season 1986/87
original illustrations of the kits worn during the season


The Season in brief

After a humiliating 4-1 defeat in the third round of the League Cup at Southampton, and with the side in nineteenth place after winning just three of their opening thirteen League games, the Board sacked Ron Atkinson.

Two days later, on November 6th, Alex Ferguson was appointed United's new manager.

The improvement in the results was gradual rather than dramatic. On Boxing Day Ferguson guided United to their first away win of the season, 1-0 at Anfield, and by the beginning of March, following a 2-0 win over City, the side had climbed to tenth.

They eventually finished in eleventh, having won just twice in their final eight games.

A Norman Whiteside goal was enough to knock out City in the F.A. Cup third round, but the side fell at the next hurdle, Coventry winning 1-0 at Old Trafford.

With the threat of relegation quickly dispelled United's new manager, rather than rush headlong into the transfer market, preferred to assess the players already at the club. Few of the youngsters in the junior sides were retained as Ferguson implemented a radical restructure. The success of this policy would not be apparent until the next decade.

All three of United's kits were re-designed for the new season, and were available in both short and long sleeved versions.

To avoid colour clashes the change black shorts were worn with the home shirt, and the home white shorts with the change shirt, on occasion.

As was the case with the previous adidas replica kits, these were easily differentiated from the player shirts as they featured embossed (rather than embroidered) club crests and manufacturers logos.